Salinas, CA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

Sec. 14-01.20 makes it unlawful to throw, place, scatter or deposit any garbage, construction and demolition (C&D) debris, recyclable material, organic waste or unacceptable materials on any street, sidewalk, alley or public place in the city, except for materials properly set out for scheduled collection. Sec. 14-01.21 extends the ban to private property, making it unlawful to place, deposit, keep, accumulate, burn or bury such materials on public or private property belonging to someone else in anything other than the authorized containers approved by the exclusive franchisee. The law exempts casual disposal of solid waste or recyclables in receptacles the property owner has furnished for public use, such as bins in a parking lot open to the public.

Enforcement runs through Sec. 14-01.32, which applies to the whole solid-waste chapter. The city's enforcement official, the city manager or a designee, monitors compliance through complaint investigation, route reviews and inspection, and issues a notice of violation giving the responsible party sixty days to correct the dumping before an administrative citation and fine follow. Fines run $50 to $100 for a first violation, $100 to $200 for a second, and $250 to $500 for a third or later violation, and the city can pursue civil recovery of unpaid citations in Monterey County courts. The city attorney separately retains discretion to prosecute illegal dumping as a criminal infraction or misdemeanor rather than, or in addition to, the administrative track.